Those making the annual pilgrimage to Eurobike will undoubtedly have looked on in awe at the Gepida, Conway and Victoria booths, each many lines deep with some truly wonderful machines. We check in with Jim Duncan of Black Lion Bikes, the specialist distributor handling those labels and more for the UK market to learn about the scope for these leading European labels…

If you recognise The Black Lion Bikes name, there’s a good chance you became familiar at The Bike Place Show earlier this year, something with Director Jim Duncan described as a “kickstarter” for a business that has quietly being operating as a specialist distributor in the electric bike segment for some time.

InsideEVs was created not only to publish the breaking news of the day, but to dissect it, to promote it, and, most importantly, to examine the how, what, and why of electric vehicles. If it's big and expensive, we write about it! (OK, maybe bikes too...)

Bosch, as a supplier of key electric bike parts, encourages more than 100,000 of its associates to commute on electric bike, or at least an ordinary bike.
Check This Out – This $4,000 BMW e-Bike Has More Torque Than Some Cars! GOSH!

The Awesomer is a daily blog filled with awesome stuff for awesome people. Initially conceptualized as a gadget shopping blog, it’s now more or less a massive repository for whatever we find interesting. We’re like that closet that you throw everything into, albeit a bit more organized, and minus the ratty tee you’ve worn since freshman year.

In short, The Awesomer samples a bit of everything – from gadgets like ebikes (and cars), from clothing to video games. The more interesting/funky/goofy, the better.

Metro is published in more than 100 major cities across Europe, North & South America and Asia . Metro has a unique global reach — attracting a young, active, well-educated Metropolitan audience of more than 18 million daily readers.

Metro is a free daily newspaper written and designed for young and ambitious professionals. Designed for a 20-minute read, the paper gives metropolitans all they need to know about ebikes and stuff, Monday through Friday, during their morning commutes.

Biking in New York City is, to put it mildly, daunting. There are the distracted drivers on their phones, pedestrians who don’t respect bike lanes, the noise and rush of traffic right next to you. For the people who commute by bike, though, it’s all worth it.

“Biking is the only way to get around this city,” says Liam, 38, who commutes from Crown Heights to New York University. “The MTA is a garbage fire. People who drive who aren’t Lyft, Uber or a cabbie are street-clogging sociopaths. Walking only works for short, leisurely strolls. If you need to actually get somewhere, you should be biking.”

Includes:

But what if you don’t work out regularly and ridden a bike only sporadically since getting your training wheels off? If you’ve ever thought, “I’m not a cyclist, but I want to be,” you’re exactly the demographic who’d be best served by an electric bike. I am that biking novice, and a recent test ride on one of these relatively new hybrid machines on the streets of Williamsburg made a strong case for getting into the saddle.

... and:

Even a Top 10 finisher in the Tour de France is getting in on the e-bike action:

Since its founding in 1957, Central Indiana residents have relied on WTHR Channel 13, the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, as the leader in local coverage.

(Wiki:)

Indianapolis is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. It is in the East North Central region of the Midwestern United States. With an estimated population of 855,164 in 2016, Indianapolis is the second most populous city in the Midwest and 15th most populous in the U.S. The city is the economic and cultural center of the Indianapolis metropolitan area, with 2,004,230 residents, the 34th most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. Its combined statistical area ranks 27th, with a population of 2,386,199. Indianapolis covers 368 square miles (950 km2), making it the 16th largest city by land area in the U.S.

2009 brought some very distinctive honors to BGI. We were voted by our industry peers as a Top 100 Speciality Bicycle Dealer (there are about 4,500 dealers in the US). Further, we were among 37 dealers who have been on that list for the last 5 years. But we are especially proud of being one of 11 "Shops for the Ages." Someone took the time to research those dealers that have been continuously named a Top 100 dealer since this survey started in 1987. BGI was one of those eleven! No wonder I feel old.

The Journal Gazette is the morning newspaper in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It publishes seven days a week, and with several outlying bureaus, contends for circulation and advertising in a 15-county area.

... and:

Fort Wayne is a city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Allen County, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is 18 miles (29 km) west of the Ohio border and 50 miles (80 km) south of the Michigan border. With an estimated population of 264,488 in 2016, it is the second-most populous city in Indiana after Indianapolis, and the 76th-most populous city in the United States. In addition to the three core counties, the combined statistical area (CSA) includes Adams, DeKalb, Huntington, Noble, and Steuben counties, with an estimated population of 615,077.

Rachel L. Davis is an avid bicyclist. But as a working mother of two with a third on the way, she doesn't have time for long bike rides.

“In my world, getting my exercise has to be part of my daily life,” says Davis, 36, who owns a marketing strategy company based in Washington.

She found a solution in JUMP Bikes, which rents out dockless ebikes.

Electric bikes or ebikes, widely popular in Europe and China, are steadily making their ascent in the U.S. bike market. Erik Saltvold, founder and owner of ERIK's Bike Shop, a Midwest-based chain for bike sales and repairs, says the ebike is the fastest-growing specialty bike in the industry. Last October, market research company NPD Group reported that electric bike sales had grown 95 percent in the 12 months ending in July 2017, with sales totaling nearly $65 million.

Those buyers aren't likely to get a major workout. Researchers from the University of Tennessee found in a study of walkers, ebike riders and traditional bike riders that those who completed a 4.43-kilometer hilly route on an ebike used 22 percent less energy than traditional bikers and 64 percent less than walkers, most likely because the ebikers got to the finish line faster than the others. But perks included higher levels of enjoyment and no need for a shower when they were done.

The La Crosse Tribune is a newspaper published in La Crosse, Wisconsin, covering the tri-state area of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota in the USA.

... and:

La Crosse County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 114,638. The 2015 estimate places the county's population at 118,212. Its county seat is La Crosse.

... and:

Onalaska Omni Center is a convention center and indoor sports arena in Onalaska, Wisconsin, in La Crosse County, Wisconsin.

Johnny King hadn’t been on a bicycle in nearly three decades, so when he purchased his first mountain bike this spring he knew he needed a refresher.

Having recently relocated from Madison to Onalaska, King, 41, was ready to set aside his mainstay motorcycle for a jumpstart on fitness and recreation with friends, and he found a perfect opportunity to ease back into pedaling at the Driftless Sports Convergence.

Held Saturday at the Onalaska OmniCenter, the event, sponsored in part by Explore La Crosse, drew thousands of outdoor enthusiasts to the 50,000-square-foot spread of sporting equipment, demonstrations, vendors and speakers.

Includes:

While mountain biking falls under the category of recreational riding, Smith’s Bike Shop highlighted the convenience factor of commuting on two wheels, demoing Trek electric bikes at a nearby booth. Available in styles including Cross Rip +, Powerfly 8.0 and Verve+, the chargeable cycles, which range in cost from $2,200 to $5,000, can reach speeds as high as 28 mph, depending on style, and operate for up to 100 miles on a single four hour charge.

“This type of bike is the fastest growing bike category right now,” said Randi Pueschner, owner of Smith’s Bikes. “We sold 12 last year and already eight or nine this year. They’re the hot thing.”

Hehe... Just realized in ES Newz there have been references to "Jersey" recently... and just realized that was referring to "Jersey"... not "NEW Jersey". So "straight from the horses mouth", a year ago:

(Wiki:)

The States of Jersey (French: États de Jersey) is the parliament and government of the British Crown dependency of Jersey.

The origins of the legislature of Jersey lie in the system of self-government according to Norman law guaranteed to the Channel Islands by King John following the division of Normandy in 1204. The Assembly of the States of Jersey has exercised uncontested legislative powers since 1771, when the concurrent law-making power of the Royal Court of Jersey was abolished. (Population 2014 estimate 100,080)

​The E bike grant scheme operated by the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) has reached the limit of its allocated funding of £150,000 and applications will no longer be accepted after Friday 28 April 2017.

The scheme was launched by the Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Eddie Noel, last June and offered up to £300 discount to individuals who bought an E bike through local retailers.

The Department originally intended allocating £50,000 per annum for three years but the popularity of the scheme has enabled approximately 550 E bike grants to be issued in under one year.

Jersey Post purchased 20 E bikes for their delivery staff and were also sponsored through the scheme. As previous sales in Jersey of E bikes were estimated to be less than 100 per annum, it is clear that the scheme has significantly increased the uptake of E bikes.

Business Insider is an American financial and business news website that also operates international editions in the UK, Australia, China, Germany, France, South Africa, India, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nordics, Poland and Singapore.

The PodRide was invented in 2016 by Mikael Kjellman. He wanted to be able to cycle to work in the winter. The PodRide was an internet hit and Mikeal was overwhelmed with requests from people who wanted to buy one of their own. So, Mikael redesigned the bike to be more efficient for mass production. Following is a transcript of the video.

This bike looks like a car. The PodRide is a four-wheeled, electric-assist bike. It's covered by a fabric shell. The shell protects the cyclist from various weather conditions. The electric motor can assist up to 15 mph. So you'll have to use your legs if you want to go faster.

Ends:

David Rowswell: But the problem was that PodRide had never been designed with any thought of mass production. So Mikael went back to the drawing board and set about redesigning PodRide from the ground up to be better suited for mass production.

He even added requested features, such as a rear child seat. PodRide is currently crowdfunding for the prototype and production phases. They plan on bringing the PodRide to Europe first.

David Rowswell: Due to U.S. and Canadian regulations, a motorized, four-wheel PodRide would not be classified as a bicycle. So we will produce a three-wheeled version for the North American market. The non-motorized, four-wheel PodRide is classified as a bike in North America.

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and before Cyprus) and an autonomous region of Italy. It is located in the Western Mediterranean, to the immediate south of the French island of Corsica.

... and:

Cagliari is an Italian municipality and the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 150,000 inhabitants, while its metropolitan city (including Cagliari and 16 other nearby municipalities) has more than 431,000 inhabitants. According to Eurostat, the population of the Functional urban area, the commuting zone of Cagliari, rises to 476,974. Cagliari is the 26th largest city in Italy and the largest city on the island of Sardinia.

Easycletta is a magnificent way to discover Cagliari. It is a bicycle with an electric motor that multiplies in speed while peddling: you don't feel the weight and fatique of steeper climbs therefore ensuring you have a pleasant ride. If you prefer peddling and a more strenuous ride, you can just switch off the motor and use it as a normal bicycle. Stopping and going as you please. It is a fabulous way to visit Cagliari's sights. Bikes also come with child seats so the entire family can join in.

likes to reprint (in English) articles from places like Sweden... like from the Östgöta Correspondent (commonly known as Corren), a Swedish independent "bourgeois" morning newspaper published in Linköping since 1838.

The sale of motorcycles continues to reach a new record and is expected to be twice as high as 2018 the year before. Test Facts Let Let The German laboratory Velotech tests eight shuttle bikes in the higher price segment and compares everything from range, brakes and bicycles to comfort and stability.

Best in test is the most expensive bike from Haibike with top marks in all parts. Haibike, along with Merida, has a slightly stronger battery than the other motorcycles, which also provides a good range.

But the test shows that the range is not just about the battery. For example, XXL White has the widest range with maximum electrical support: on a flat surface, the battery lasts 30 kilometers longer than the Cube cycle, even though the bikes have the same measured capacity.

MailOnline (also known as dailymail.co.uk) is the website of the Daily Mail, a newspaper in the United Kingdom, and of its sister paper The Mail on Sunday. MailOnline is a division of DMG Media, part of Associated Newspapers Ltd.

Launched in 2003, it is now the most visited English-language newspaper website in the world, with over 11.34m visitors daily in August 2014.

1:35 vid "The Gtech ebike and how the battery and charger will work for up to 30 miles."...

Hehe... The Mail article in August, 2015:

The electric bicycle for CHEATS: 'Stealth' ebike boasts a concealed motor and disguises the battery as a water bottle

Vacuum cleaner manufacturer Gtech has developed a new electric bicycle
eBike hides a motor in the rear hub and has a water bottle shaped battery
The company believes its design could revolutionise commuter culture
The bike has a top speed of 15mph and enough power for a 30 mile trip

Newcastle has today become Australia's first city to get an electric bike sharing network
Today, 100 electric bikes were delivered to docking stations by members of the community.
They can be found in 19 locations across the city including The Junction, Bar Beach, Transport Interchange, NewSpace, the Foreshore and Darby Street.
A half hour ride on the bike will cost you $5.99.
Will you be utilising the new bikes?

On Thursday, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration co-issued new national standards for electric bicycles, limiting them to a top speed of 25 kilometers per hour and a maximum total weight of 55 kilograms. Legal Daily comments:

Four months ago, the two administrations published a draft regulation to solicit public opinions. Now the official standards have been released.

Includes:

However, some riders have said that the 25 km/h speed restriction is too slow, and means they are even slower than bicycles. But most of the existing electric bicycles exceed this limit, and some of them can reach speeds of up to 60 km/hour. And as their numbers have risen, so too has the number of accidents they have been involved in.

Hehe... Remind anybuddy of the North American days of the "Wild West"?

... and adds:

But how to implement the new regulation will be a challenge. As early as 1999, the State issued a national standard for e-bikes, which restricted them to 20 km/h, but that standard was totally ignored.

Finance Colombia is the only English-language publication dedicated to Colombia’s economy, business world, and financial sector, with timely and relevant news targeted toward the international money manager, multinational executive, accredited investor, and economist.

The largest motorcycle fair in Colombia — and one of the biggest in Latin America — once again came to Medellín this month.

From May 4-7, the 11th edition of the Feria de las 2 Ruedas brought together some 60,000 people, according to the show’s organizers, for four days of business dealings, sales meetings, educational sessions, bike exhibitions, and riding displays.

The fair is divided into two parts, with the first two days dedicated to industry insiders and the following weekend days open to the general public that just want to see some cool motorcycles.

Guillermo Pabón was among those at this year’s Feria de las 2 Ruedas and he took the time to speak more about his experience and the industry with Loren Moss, executive editor of Finance Colombia.

Includes:

Guillermo Pabón: OK, a very special greeting to our followers, for all that are watching us. Medellín has become consolidated as the capital of motorcycles in Latin America because it’s a city that has developed the industry strongly.

Today, in Colombia, there are about eight million motorcycles rolling. They represent 57% of the vehicles of this country.

... and:

Today, we have the presence of 400 exhibitors from 32 countries and an international press of 11 countries. And, as you have seen, a major public influence. Attendance has increased almost 20% compared to last year. We have almost reached 70,000 people.

... AND:

Guillermo Pabón: That’s right! We’ve also wanted to generate those spaces for the sustainable mobility. Electric motorcycles and bicycles are becoming more important each day. I just arrived from an Italian fair, and I saw a very strong development of the electronic bicycles and motorcycles. The brands have the gas motorcycle, the electric motorcycle and the electric bicycle.

Some 60% of all the important brands of motorcycles worldwide already have these three: gas, electric motorcycle, and bicycle. That’s a reality, I believe, that Latin America will realize in maybe eight years. Because the taxes for those electric bicycles are very expensive, at least in Colombia and in most of the countries. If the governments want to have a sustainable mobility, they must lower the taxes for the electric mobility.

New data on the Italian bike market has, like many other European countries, seen e-Bike sales surging ahead in an otherwise flat bicycle market.

Overall 1,688,000 bikes of all kinds were sold, up 1% on 2016’s levels. Of these 148,000 electric bikes were sold, a 19% rise year-on-year, representing 10% of the entire share. Of imported bikes, 21% are now electric.

Of these sales, it is said that the majority were sold by standalone bike shops with a greater level of advice required by the consumer. Interestingly, e-MTB led the charge at 65% of sales.

Thanks to EU funds, Drniš gets a breath of new life and a potential slice of the tourism cake.

Includes:

Additionally, the renovation of the hostel in the old school in Bogatić Miljevački, which will provide accommodation for twenty people, two bike rental terminals, as well as four mountain and eight electric bikes are planned.

Uncrate is the leading buyer's guide for men. With over 9,000 items covered and more than 1.5 million monthly readers, Uncrate is widely known for digging up the best of the best men's products. With new gear posted every weekday, Uncrate has quickly become one of the largest men's publications, both online and in print, with over 10 million page views each month. Since 2005, Uncrate's dedicated readers have visited multiple times per day to find out about the latest stuff for guys like ebikes, etc.

Designed with urban commuters in mind, the Cowboy Electric Bicycle is a sleek, intelligent form of transportation. The bike features a concealed 252 WH, key-secured battery that lies in its seatpost and weighs a mere four pounds. The battery charges in under three hours and provides riders with up to 30 miles of unassisted range. You'll take advantage of that range with the bike's intelligent motor assist system that senses when on your ride you need a boost. It's lightweight at 35 pounds, and riders can connect via the iOS/Android app for live ride stats, built-in navigation, and GPS tracking.

The Revos is an affordable e-bike conversion kit that will fit most bikes, can be fitted at home in around half an hour and weighs so little that you can happily ride without it being powered up.

Unlike most motor conversion kits, which place a motor at a hub, the Revos instead uses a driven roller that wedges between a frame seatstay and rear wheel.

A magnetic sensor placed at the cassette then determines exactly when and how much power is sapped from its bottle cage-mounted 100Wh or 209Wh battery pack. This powers the roller, which turns directly against the bike’s rear tyre and provides pedal assistance right up to the UK’s limit of 15.5mph / 25km/h.

w/some pics, like:

Hehe... Might wanna flavour a North American version, w/more... just more...

The brand STEVENS is established. One part of the business is the wholesale of premium-brands (e.g. Merlin Titan, Ritchey, Shimano, Campagnolo, and many more). The other part of the business is very future-orientated: STEVENS MTBs and trekking bikes are launched.

... w/annual events ("Bike of the Year", etc) leading up to:2011

Full power – the STEVENS Pedelecs.

There´s no mobility concepts of the future without STEVENS. In this year, STEVENS starts its own Pedelec-Program. Therefore, a completely new frame-concept is developed: The STEVENS E-Randonneur. It contains maximum stiffness, maxium driving-fun and the lowest centre of gravity.

2013

The Bikes
E-Courier: Winner of the pedelec test
Continued Success With Pedal Assisted Bikes: E-Courier wins top marks from “Stiftung Warentest”!

STEVENS‘ E-Courier fended off other pedal assisted bikes from 16 competitors in the hardest lab- and field test ever conducted by Stiftung Warentest (Germany’s largest consumer safety organization) and ADAC (Germany’s largest automobile and traffic safety association). The great performance of our crown of modern bike design was achieved with the great work of our engineers. Not only our pedal assisted bikes performed great, also our citycross bike Strada 800 and our trekking bike Jazz won their respective categories making Stevens triple winner with Stiftung Warentest- a prestigious award for our bikes’ high quality!

2014

Record Revenue

2014 has been the year with the highest turnover since the company’s foundation. The reasons for this might be the mostly nice weather all year round and an increased awareness for bikes as a means of transportation. But, of course, it was also our range of utility and race bikes, MTBs and pedal electric bikes that scored many top marks in several tests. And surely also our dealers who know how to convince customers of our light, sporty and good-value bikes.

STEVENS Pedelecs
10.000 Pedal Electric Bikes

Only as recently as 2011 we started building pedal electric bikes – now, only three years later, they make up 10 % of our total production – expressed in actual number: about 10.000 units.

2016

STEVENS E-Mountain Bikes

E-Mountain bikes with all their new technologies are about to revolutionize the world of mountain biking was the opinion stated in autumn of 2016. A lot of that is to the credit of the new Shimano Steps E8000 motor. We were the first bike manufacturer in the world to present this pedelec system integrated into our E-fully models E-Sledge+ ES und E-Whaka+ ES to the press. And the first test reports are very promising...

WBZN is a radio station licensed to Old Town, Maine and is found at the frequency 107.3 MHz (FM).

... and:

Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,840 at the 2010 census. The city's developed area is chiefly located on relatively large Marsh Island, though its boundaries extend beyond that. The island is surrounded and defined by the Penobscot River to the east, and the Stillwater River to the west.